Mayor Cherelle Parker endorsed the 76ers arena proposal in Center City on Wednesday afternoon, delivering the news in a message on social media as activists opposed to the project rallied outside City Hall.
"I have made my decision and an agreement has been reached that will ensure that our Sixers are staying home," Parker said on X, formerly Twitter, a week after hosting a town hall for community members to weigh in on the project.
MORE: Hundreds of people pack town hall for 76ers arena to discuss polarizing proposal in Center City
The $1.55 billion plan aims to build an 18,500-seat arena on East Market Street just south of Chinatown. The proposed site currently is part of the Fashion District Philadelphia mall between 10th and 11th streets. The project also calls for a 395-unit residential tower, which the team says will include affordable housing units.
“We are grateful to Mayor Parker and her team for their time and diligence in evaluating our proposal and look forward to advancing to the next steps with City Council," a team spokesperson said Wednesday afternoon.
In the two years since the project was introduced, the Sixers have maintained the team will privately finance the arena without seeking city subsidies. Activists have voiced doubts that the Sixers will follow through on that commitment.
The Save Chinatown Coalition learned last night that Parker would be meeting with a small group of Chinatown leaders to inform them of her decision on the project. Activists said they were not permitted to be a part of that meeting, despite asking the mayor for a chance to participate.
"She has decided she is supporting this arena, but this is far from over," Debbie Wei, one of the leaders of the Save Chinatown Coalition, told the group gathered at City Hall.
Anti-arena activists said the political process leading up to Parker's endorsement did not include enough representation from community members.
Last Wednesday night, when hundreds of people packed the Convention Center, many Chinatown residents and other opponents of the arena shared why they're against the plan. They said building an arena will threaten the survival of a culturally significant neighborhood, create unmanageable traffic in surrounding neighborhoods and harm small businesses that don't stand to benefit from the project.
A series of arena impact studies released last month offered analyses of how the project would affect local communities, transportation and parking, and the wider economy of Philadelphia.
Wei said she was told by those who met with Parker on Wednesday that the mayor spoke about the team's $50 million community benefits agreement that has long been a promised piece of the arena package. Parker did not mention details about the CBA in her announcement. The CBA became a point of focus last November when the 76ers hosted their own town hall event, with many community members suggesting ideas and urging the Sixers to invest more into sustaining Chinatown.
Parker's endorsement of the arena project, which has gotten support from many of the city's labor unions, will now need to be approved by City Council. Nearly a dozen bills will need to be debated and passed for the project to move forward. The arena site sits within the district of Councilmember Mark Squilla (D-District 1), who previously told community members he will present them with legislation at least 30 days before it is introduced.
"Now that the Mayor has made a decision on 76 Place, Council will follow their legislative process and (ensure) there are safeguards in place for the community stakeholders," Squilla's spokesperson, Anne Kelly, said in an emailed statement. "During this time, we expect to consider all concerns and if needed, amend the legislation."
Squilla could be the deciding factor in whether or not the arena gets legislative approval. City Council typically defers to individual members about decisions on land use in their respective districts.
But at Wednesday's rally, Councilmember Jeffery Young (D-District 5) told activists he stands with them against the project.
"We want to make sure as your City Council representatives that there are protections for you in place as we move forward," Young said. "I can tell you, I have been a no from day one and (the 76ers) have not done anything ... to move me to a yes."
At-large Councilmember Nicolas O'Rourke, of the Working Families Party, also has said he's not in support of a project that doesn't have significant backing from community members in Chinatown.
Wei said the Save Chinatown Coalition will evaluate all of its legal options to fight the project moving forward. The group has submitted Right-to-Know requests to obtain documents from the city about the vetting process and negotiations behind the arena proposal.
"I think council members really need to do their due diligence, and I am very serious about questioning governmental malpractice," she said.
The 76ers recently have increased pressure on the city to approve the project, even saying they would seriously consider a proposal from New Jersey officials to build an arena in Camden with up to $800 million in tax incentives.
The team has said its priority is to complete the project in Philadelphia by 2031, when the 76ers' current lease at the Wells Fargo Center expires.
In her message on Wednesday, Parker vowed to support Chinatown as the arena proposal enters its next phase.
"To the People of Chinatown, please know that I hear you," Parker said. "We have the best Chinatown in the United States, and I am committed to working together to support it."